Okay. Here we go. Up until now sure seems like a precursor to the stiffest test Ohio State will face to date. After blowing through the competition in the first four games, it now must go on the road to what could be a hornet’s nest in Lincoln, Nebraska to take on a bit of a resurgent Cornhusker squad.
‘Huskers’ head coach Scott Frost is embracing this as a big opportunity to make a statement for his program, and the team would like nothing more than to slay the beast of the Big Ten to introduce the journey to the world.
Much like going to Iowa City in 2017, and traveling to Purdue in 2018, this one has a chance to be a trap game. The crowd and team could be lying in wait to jump out of the weeds and play with the most passion it will all year.
Though it could be a major and underestimated test, here’s five reasons Ohio State beats Nebraska on Saturday night.
Defense travels
Ohio State’s defense is boarding the plane
Take last year’s game in the Horseshoe and throw out the defensive performance. The offense was more than fine, it was the defense that gave up far too many explosive plays, and far too many points to make it a white-knuckler.
This year’s defense is different. It won’t be a repeat of trips to Iowa City or West Lafayette because the opposing offenses won’t be able to grab momentum and whip the crowd into a frenzy. Nebraska will likely score more points than the other teams that have tussled with Ohio State so far this year, but not to the point where the game plan has to be shucked (see what I did there) because of a big hole the team finds itself in.
The talent gap
Ohio State simply has more skill and athleticism
Scott Frost is working to get the type of players he needs to restore glory to the Nebraska program, but it’s just not there yet. You can list all the reasons you want about the Cornhuskers falling off nationally over the last couple of decades — none of them have contributed more than a drop in talent.
The program got away from recruiting and developing the right kind of player after Tom Osborne left, and it got into a downward spiral that wasn’t easy to get out of. Things will slowly start to turn, but there’s no denying Ohio State is better at almost every position on the field. When push comes to shove, talent wins out. Even the waterboys might have faster 40-times than what’s passing out Gatorade in Lincoln.
Next … Balance on offense
Ohio State can beat defenses in multiple ways
You know how you dig yourself in a hole on the road? It’s by being one dimensional and allowing a gameplan to cripple your ability to move the ball on offense. As good as Ohio State’s offense was last year, it was a pass-heavy one that often struggled to get things crankin’ on the ground.
That doesn’t appear to be the case in 2019.
The offensive line looks to be blowing people off the ball and creating lanes for the ground game, and quarterback Justin Fields adds to the dual-abilities of the offense by being one himself. On the road, it’ll be doubly important to keep the defense honest and take advantage of any aggressive tendencies.
The Nebraska defense won’t be able to dial up big play blitzes that could get the crowd involved because of the risk of allowing the explosive play.
Next … Lincoln, we have a problem
Nebraska’s mistakes
Nebraska has had an awful time cutting down on mistakes so far this year. Maybe that clicks all of a sudden, but it’s unlikely. Against Colorado the ‘Huskers turned the ball over three times, and committed some key penalties. It was worse against Illinois.
Nebraska nearly gift-wrapped that game, giving the ball away four times and committing ten penalties for 70 yards. That’s not going to cut it against a team with the talent and depth of Ohio State.
There’s a chance the team buckles down and figures things out at home, but at some point you are what you are. Look for Scott Frost’s crew to contribute to the Buckeye cause by coughing it up a time or two, or by showing the same lack of discipline it has so far in 2019.
Next … Ohio State has the dude
Justin Fields
Sometimes, when the brown bile hits the fan, you have to have the dude to pull it all out. Justin Fields has been fantastic so far this season, but he hasn’t been called upon to will his team to victory. But that doesn’t mean he can’t.
The Ohio State quarterback has shown composure beyond expectations, but more than anything, he’s got the skill set to get things done on the playground when it’s fourth and ball-game. Look for this game to be closer than most everyone thinks, and look for Fields to come up big when the crowd is pumpin’ in the Lincoln night.
Nebraska has some dudes. Ohio State has the dude.
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